Ashleigh Butler broke down in tears on today’s This Morning as she remembered the good times she had with her late dog Pudsey

Recalling the moment she realised Pudsey wasn’t well, she said: “I was at a dog show with him last weekend. On the Monday he wasn’t himself and was sleeping a lot. I took him to the vets on Tuesday and between Tuesday and Thursday he went downhill so quickly.

“On the Thursday it got to the point where he couldn’t even lift his head.”

As images flashed across the screen of the pair meeting the Queen and being photographed at glitzy events, Ashleigh sobbed: “He gave me opportunities that I never thought I’d ever have.”

However, things took a more positive turn when she was joined on the sofa by Sully, whom she will now perform with.

She told hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes: “Sully will stay as Sully. I can’t change him into Pudsey. He grew up with Pudsey. Sully really looked up to him.”

Sully is the dog world agility champion and won the small dogs agility jumping round at Crufts in March.